Home ministry official held on corruption charges

The CBI on Sunday detained union home ministry official Anand Joshi, who had gone missing after the agency issued summons following allegations of corruption.

“We have detained Anand Joshi and he is now being questioned,” Central Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Devpreet Singh told IANS.

The CBI had booked Joshi, an under secretary in the ministry, earlier this month on charges of corruption and issued summons to appear before it for questioning. Joshi had subsequently gone missing.

Home ministry sources had earlier said that Joshi, who was recently posted in the foreigners division and had access to files related to Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), had been under scanner for several months and was reported to the CBI after it was confirmed that he was taking bribes to favour certain NGOs.

It was alleged that Joshi had been indulging in corrupt activities and arbitrarily issuing notices to large number of NGOs and societies registered under FCRA who had been receiving significant amount of foreign contributions.

Joshi had allegedly demanded and obtained illegal gratification from some of these organisations, which were laundered through various immovable assets as well as certain private companies.

He was also allegedly behind some files related to Teesta Setalvad’s NGO Sabrang Trust suddenly going missing from the ministry a few months back. The files were later traced to the officer and restored. (IANS)